Things To Think About When Traveling Abroad

The holiday travel season is upon us. Most health insurance policies will cover you no matter where you go in the United States, but what if you are traveling outside the country? In fact, open your passport to page 2 and you will find the following warning: HEALTH INSURANCE. Persons considering foreign travel should determine what health insurance coverage, if any, they require while outside the United States. Medicare does not cover health care costs outside the United States and its territories, except under limited circumstances in Canada and Mexico.

Most international travelers do not have appropriate health insurance coverage. In fact, government subsidized health care such as Medicare almost never covers health services in foreign countries. Many employer sponsored health plans limit overseas coverage.

Why is insurance so critical for international travel?
Obtaining healthcare in some parts of the world can be tricky. Some hospitals won't provide any treatment--or won't allow a patient to be discharged--until the hospital has received a guarantee of payment. Such guarantees are commonly provided by travel insurers, in conjunction with assistance providers, but rarely by other insurers or managed care plans. This means you'll have to pay in advance, perhaps as much as tens of thousands of dollars, with your credit card. Of course, for this to work the hospital must accept foreign credit cards and your card must have a sufficient credit limit.
 Always make sure you check with your Insurance Company before your trip to make sure you’re covered. Your licensed Insurance agent can assist you in making sure you are covered especially if you are on Medicare. If you are not, there are a variety of products available to you. We work with a company called HTH worldwide. They have a variety of products available to take care of your health needs while traveling abroad.  These plans can be very inexpensive, $1.50-$9.00 per day.
Health Accident Plans: Typically referred to as Health travel insurance, these plans cover doctors, hospital bills and some dental care and medications. These plans can be short term from 1day to 6 months. These plans can supplement Medicare and managed care plans.
Medical Evacuation: Evacuation can be expensive, costing up to $100,000.00 or more from a remote location.
Trip Cancellation / Interruption: An example of this would be if you purchased a $5,000 cruise and were unable to take it because of a personal illness. Depending on when you canceled, a significant portion may be non refundable. This type of insurance will reimburse you.
You can find more information here or contact us to speak with an agent.